


The Hokage's Shadow

by TheRedR0bin



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Happy birthday Naruto, Hokage Uzumaki Naruto, Implied One-Sided SasuNaru, One Shot, One-Sided Attraction, One-Sided Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto, POV Third Person, POV Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-29 04:49:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16257002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedR0bin/pseuds/TheRedR0bin
Summary: Sasuke makes a quick stop by the village to see the newly inaugurated Nanadaime Hokage.





	The Hokage's Shadow

**Author's Note:**

> Yayy! Today is Naruto's special day!  
> Happy Birthday to our beloved Nanadaime! \o/
> 
> I've been wanting to write this piece since I first saw the OVA where Naruto gets "inaugurated", and I finally got around to it.
> 
> Although, I didn't particularly enjoy the fact that they actually had Naruto get knocked out on the day of his Hokage inauguration; something he had been dreaming of since he was child... and FINALLY accomplished! It was such a horrible, horrible thing to do to him. ><  
> Let's hope Sasuke can make it all better for him. ;)
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this little one-shot.

The room is dark and silent when he awakens–feeling sore and bruised all over like he had been pummeled like the newest ninja training dummy. His muscles ache and there is a dull, but constant, pounding in his head, making him remain in his reclined position with his eyes closed. He tries to gauge his situation in the meantime; focusing more on his sense of smell and hearing.

 

The sound of cicadas, and the faint sound of laughter from a distance, along with the stray croak of a toad, and maybe the yowl of feral cats fighting. He quietly wonders if mating season has begun.

 

There isn’t much in the way of smells that he can make out. Although, there is a faint scent of barbecued meat and various other foods all mixed together that his nose picks out. All of it collectively makes his stomach growl and he wonders when the last time he had eaten was.

 

The sound of a scoff, one that is too familiar. Naruto turns slightly to the direction of the sound and cracks an eyelid open. The window is ajar; a gentle breeze ruffling at the white curtains that have been drawn open, and the moonlight streaming in frames the undoubtedly recognisable silhouette in a silvery glow–giving it an almost ethereal radiance.

 

‘Sasuke?’ he tries to say but his voice cracks before he can get the whole name out.

 

The figure moves away from the window, stepping closer to where he is still reclined. Naruto finally opens both eyes and takes in his surroundings. He is in his private office at home; able to tell by the shadowed cork-board hung by the door, filled with a variety of photographs pinned to it, and he is lying on the green sofa-bed placed in front of the tall bookcase to the right of the door.

 

He switches his gaze back to Sasuke, who is now standing over him–with the moonlight still behind him making it a little difficult for Naruto to make out the expression on his face.

 

Instead of trying, he sits up and accepts the bottle of water that his friend holds out to him. ‘Thanks,’ he manages to croak out, twisting the cap off and drinking deeply. The cool water soothes his parched throat and reduces the rumbling in his stomach.

 

‘How do you feel?’ questions Sasuke, scrutinizing him.

 

‘Uh, like shit, but fine,’ he replies, running a hand through his hair. He takes another sweep of the room. ‘What happened?’

 

A frown draws Sasuke’s brows together. ‘You don’t remember?’

 

Naruto shakes his head slowly while racking his brain, trying to recall and falling short.

 

‘Your daughter knocked you out with the Gentle Fist.’

 

It all comes rushing back to him; a slew of memories all at once, like a movie playing back in his mind–eating breakfast with his family, Hinata announcing that she’s going to pick up the haori, getting dressed, the sound of Boruto and Himawari at loggerheads, him calling out to them, Boruto running out of the family room and crashing into the hallway floor, Himawari stalking her brother like prey–eyes turned silvery like her mother’s, and him running towards the two of them… fading into black.

 

‘Shit.’ He presses the heels of his palms into his eyes until he sees stars dancing across his vision. It would explain why he feels so beat up and bruised. Another thought occurs to him and he raises his head to stare into his friend’s onyx and lilac coloured eyes. Sasuke seems oddly calm. ‘What happened to the inauguration?’

 

The dark-haired man sighs softly. ‘It’s done.’

 

‘What! How?’

 

‘The inauguration ceremony was a success. Konohamaru stepped in as you.’

 

Naruto blinks. ‘Oh.’ Overwhelming disappointment is all he can feel bubbling in the pit of his stomach. His shoulders sag when a melancholic sigh leaves him. A hand on his head makes him look back at the man standing before him. His longtime friend and partner; the only one he trusts with his life. He sees the sadness mirrored in Sasuke’s eyes and it is a look he doesn’t like. Sasuke deserves happiness after everything he has been forced to endure over the course of his childhood. So, Naruto pushes his own issues away and gives the man a grin. ‘Did Konohamaru at least make me look good?’ He scoots aside a little and gestures for Sasuke to take a seat. The man does without complaint, turning slightly so that they are face-to-face.

 

‘As if you, the beloved hero of the people, could ever look bad in their eyes,’ Sasuke tells Naruto, smirk tilting his lips. ‘Although, they aren’t privy to what you’re really like behind closed doors.’

 

Naruto chuckles, shoving playfully at Sasuke’s shoulder. ‘Shut up.’ With the way they are seated, Sasuke’s right hand–his only hand–is braced on the sofa-bed beside Naruto’s thigh. He stares at it for a moment, and without thinking he reaches out and grabs it with his own. Bringing it up to his face for inspection. Sasuke’s hand is pale and bony, with long fingers and neatly trimmed nails–clad in his signature fingerless glove. The black material contrasts well with the tone of his skin. His fingers are also calloused, the skin of his palm toughened over years of training and wielding of the sword. Very unlike Naruto’s own, due to Kurama’s healing abilities; while not completely smooth, it still isn’t as rough as Sasuke’s is.

 

Sasuke remains silent, watching Naruto with a calm gaze as he runs his thumb over a writing callus on Sasuke’s middle finger.

 

‘You know, we can still arrange for you to get fitted with that left arm Baa-chan grew for you.’ Naruto switches his gaze to Sasuke, smiling at him encouragingly.

 

‘Don’t need it,’ Sasuke begins, ‘I can function perfectly well without it.’

 

‘Yeah, but still…’ Naruto doesn’t want to push, knowing how Sasuke can get.  Still, he isn’t the man’s best friend for shits and giggles. ‘I’m just saying you still have that option. If you ever changed your mind.’

 

‘Okay.’

 

Naruto gives the dark-haired man another smile and changes the topic. ‘So, uh, what are you doing here?’ he asks. ‘The last time you wrote me, you said you were in the Land of Lightning and you couldn’t make it to the inauguration.’

 

Sasuke looks away, a little too quickly, and replies, ‘I don’t remember such a letter.’

 

‘Yeah, right, as if  _ you _ would forget anything,’ Naruto frowns, slightly confused. ‘I have the letter somewhere–’ He pauses, taking a closer look at his friend’s face. Is Sasuke blushing? ‘Sasuke?’

 

‘Shut up, Usuratonkachi,’ he growls out, still keeping his gaze averted, but Naruto can make out the telltale signs–the stiffness in his posture, the biting of his bottom lip, and if he brushed Sasuke’s hair aside, he is sure his ears would be red and slowly bleeding colour into his pale cheeks.

 

‘Aw, Sasuke–’

 

‘Be quiet.’

 

‘–you came all this way just for me? I’m so flattered,’ he continues to croon, tightening the grip he still retains on Sasuke’s hand.

 

‘Tch.’

 

Naruto giggles at the man’s uncharacteristic bashfulness. ‘Thank you, really. It means a lot that you’re here.’

 

Sasuke turns back to him finally. ‘You should head downstairs, if you feel well enough.  There’s some kind of miniature dinner party taking place. I’m sure everyone will want to see you.’

 

Right. The unofficial celebratory dinner. He supposes they couldn’t exactly cancel that since Gaara and the rest of his friends from other villages had travelled a long way to attend. By now, Naruto’s certain every one of them has been informed of what actually happened to him.

 

‘Did you see them?’  he asks Sasuke, who still hasn’t made any move to pull his hand away from within Naruto’s grasp.

 

‘No.’

 

‘Sasuke…’

 

‘I have to get going. I only came to check up on you, and congratulate you.’

 

‘But, you could see your daughter and talk to her.’

 

‘Naruto–’

 

‘I’m sure she wants to.’

 

‘I can’t.’ He drops his eyes to Naruto’s lap, to their linked hands.

 

‘Sasuke, you need to stop punishing yourself.’ Naruto reaches his other hand out to grip the back of Sasuke’s head, holding him in place. ‘Everyone has forgiven you already. Please come home.’

 

‘We’ll see,’ he says and Naruto takes it. Arguing with Sasuke about this is fruitless. He knows this. And yet, Naruto cannot let it go. Sasuke deserves to be happy–and there are moments Naruto has caught glimpses of it, during their brief visits and meet-ups.

 

‘I miss you, you know.’

 

Sasuke gives him half a smile. ‘I see you often, Dobe.’

 

‘Yeah, but it isn’t like having you around in the village, working on cases with you… stuff like that.’  Naruto sighs. His fingers bury beneath dark hair at the back of Sasuke’s head. He silently marvels at its softness. ‘It’s not the same,’ he admits sadly. ‘You don’t call or write as frequently either.’

 

Sasuke shifts, sliding closer and momentarily presses their foreheads together. ‘Fine. I’ll write more often then,’ he promises before leaning back and smirking. ‘You’re being quite needy today.’

 

‘Shut up. I’m allowed to worry about my best friend.’

 

‘Right, best friend,’ Sasuke mutters, almost to himself, but he continues to speak before Naruto can ask what that was about. ‘In that case, allow this best friend to bestow upon his closest friend his heartfelt congratulations on achieving their lifelong goal of becoming Hokage.’

 

‘Are you sure you’re the real Sasuke?’ Naruto questions, suddenly feeling shy. ‘The Sasuke I know would never use words like  _ heartfelt _ .’

 

Sasuke lets out a soft laugh and reaches up to flick Naruto’s nose. ‘Usuratonkachi. You’ve come so far from being that loud-mouthed brat in the Academy, following me everywhere–’

 

‘I did not!’

 

‘–chasing me down,’ Sasuke continues like he hadn’t been interrupted, ‘and finally catching me and saving the world.  There’s no one better suited for this job than you, and I know you’ll achieve great things.’ He pauses to give Naruto another gentle half-smile. ‘I’m proud of you, Dobe.’

 

Naruto is stunned, unable to phrase the words he wants to speak, because he is so touched that Sasuke travelled all this way just to see him, so moved by the words he just heard the man utter. ‘That,’ he croaks, swallowing past the lump formed in his throat, ‘is probably the most I heard you speak,’ he comments. ‘Outside of your “vengeance” and “revolution” speeches you gave back in the day.’

 

‘You’re such an idiot,’ Sasuke chuckles. ‘Is that all you can say?’

 

Naruto laughs, squeezing the back of Sasuke’s neck gently before dropping his hand. ‘Thanks, Sasuke. I’m glad you came today… even if it wasn’t me at the ceremony.’

 

‘Me, too.’

 

‘Are you sure you can’t stay? At least for a day?’

 

Sasuke doesn’t look happy about having to refuse Naruto–or maybe it’s because Naruto keeps pestering him. He’s not too sure.

 

‘No. I’m chasing a lead on that case I wrote to you about. The one regarding the child trafficking ring. My source is leaving tomorrow night, so I need to get moving.’

 

Naruto nods solemnly.

 

Sasuke stares at him for a few seconds longer, smirk playing on his lips until Naruto smiles back.

 

‘Don’t be away too long,’ he tells the man.

 

There’s a peculiar glint that takes over in Sasuke’s dark eye. One that Naruto cannot quite discern, but it only lasts a second, and Sasuke is saying, ‘I promise, Hokage-sama.’ He stands and makes his way towards the open window–presumably the same way he came in–and halts, turning around to leave Naruto with one more parting message, ‘Don’t work yourself into the ground. That’s my job,’ he smirks. ‘I’ll keep you posted.’

 

And with that he’s gone, with a flutter of his cape; the only trace that he was ever there physically, and not a figment of Naruto’s hallucinations, is the mission log scroll he left in Naruto’s lap and the lingering feeling of warmth from his hand against Naruto’s own.

  
  



End file.
